Improvement in wool-driers



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES MILLEN DICK, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

- -UIMPRo'vMENT |N WooL-DRlERs.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 116,032, dated June 20,1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES MILLEN DICK, of Bualo, in the county of Erieand State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Wool-Driers, of which the following is a specication:

N atnre of the Intention.

This invention consists of a machine so constructed that the wool issqueezed or pressed by means 'of rollers to expel moisture, thensubjected to a blast of cold air and acted on by pickers, for thepurpose of drying, as hereinafter fully described.

General Description.

In the drawing, Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section. Fig. 2 is aplan with the fantrunk removed.

A represents the frame, which may be of any ordinary or convenientconstruction. Near one endis mounted a fan-case, B, having a trunk, B',which extends to nearly the other end of the machine, where its endturns downward, as shown in Fig. l. A fan, C, in this case, constantlyimpels a current of air through the trunk. An air-space or passage, D,extends from the mouth of this trunk downward and backward under thefan-case, and terminates in a aring mouth, D', where the wool isdischarged. A picker, E, made to revolve in anyk suitable manner, ismounted in the air-space or passage D, being in such a position as notto break the current of air downward from the trunk, but to catch thewool at the bottom as it is drawn down. This picker revolves against theedge of the blast. A stationary pickerbed, E1, is situated above thiscylinder, and one, E2, below. All these parts are' armed with radialpins or teeth o, which intermatch in the revolutions ofthe cylinder orpicker E. A pair of wringing-rollers, Gr G', is situated at a properposition in front of the mouth of the fan-trunk. These are presseddownward by screw b acting upon adjusting-bar c in a `manner similar toclothes-wringers. Outside these rollers is situated an endless apron, H,passing over rollers d d', as clearly shown in Fig. l. A clear space, f,is left between the end of the endless apron H and the wringing-rollers,which will allow the expressed water to pass downward without strikingupon the apron or its contents. The aring mouth D', which discharges theber, has a series of holes, g g, at the top, which allow the entrance offresh air at that point.

Operation.

The wool is fed onto the endless apron H, which conveys it to thewringing-rollers Gr G. Inpassingbetween these the water is expressed andruns down through opening f without falling upon the apron, as beforestated. Thermoment the Wool passes inside the rollers4 the current ofcold air through trunk B' forces it downward upon the picker-bed E2,whose teeth serve as a stop to its further progress. Here it is caughtby the picker E and carried upward and backward in the edge of theblast, which blows in the opposite direction from which the picker isrunning.. This action against the blast aids very greatly in the dryingprocess. After being carried around it passes through the lintermatchingteeth of the stationary picker El, and is carried down to outside thepicker-bed with the fibers thoroughly separated. Here it receives thefull impetus of air through the passage D, and is nally blown out at D'thoroughly dried by its contact with the current of air in passingthrough.

In this quick drying the result is much -better than in a slow process,as the ber is leftwith a greater degree of life and elasticity, and,therefore, it has greater strength and is capable of greater wear. Theholes g g in the top of the discharge-mouth D' aid the drying verymaterially, as the current inside sucks through these a large quantityof fresh air. vThe picker E not only separates the bers of the wool fromtheir matted condition, but also opens them, so as to give the beste'ect to the air.

Claims.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. In a wool-drying machine, afan, C,and trunk B' B, so arranged that the current of air is impelled againstthe wool at its entrance and is blown out, as herein described.

2. In a wool-drying machine, in combination with the fan-trunk B B' andfan O, the revolving' picker E and picker-beds E1 E2, arranged andoperating as herein set forth.

pioyed in a wool-drying machine in the manner and for the purposespecified.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of twosubscribing Witnesses.

JAMES M. DICK.

Witnesses:

J. R. BRAKE, C. N. WooDWARn. y

